Aerosol dispenser for dispensing measured amounts



Dec. 3, 1968 c. R. GRISHAM ETAL 3,414,171

AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING MEASURED AMOUNTS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct.

HOWARD A. CRAMER GR. GR/SHAM ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1968 c. R. GRISHAM ETAL 3,414,171

AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING MEASURED AMOUNTS Filed Oct. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HOWARD A. CRAMER OR. GR/SHAM ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1968 c. R. GRISHAM ETAL. 3,414,171

AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING MEASURED AMOUNTS Filed Oct. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. HOWARD A. CRAMER CR. GR/SHAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,414,171 AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING MEASURED AMOUNTS Charles R. Grisham and Howard A. 'Cramer, both of 1742 E. 6th St., P.O. Box 1747, Tulsa, Okla. 74104 Filed Oct. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 584,562 9 Claims. (Cl. 222402.14)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Briefly, the invention comprises a non-rotatable spray nozzle positioned on a pressurized container and biased to a closed position with a rotatable holding nut positioned on the pressurized container in a manner that rotation of the holding nut causes cam follower members on the holding nut to coact with a cam member on the spray nozzle to depress the spray nozzle and activate the valve mechanism of the pressurized container to an opened position permitting communication between the interior of the pressurized container with the open valve mechanism and open spray nozzle, thus permitting the pressurized fluid to leave the container. Rotation of the holding nut in the opposite direction then permits the cam follower members and cam member to assume their original position and deactivate the valve mechanism. The metering device may be rotated manually in both directions, or as by a modification shown herein, a return spring may be included to bias the metering device to a closed position. Also, another modification shows a dashpot arrangement for lengthening the return time of the metering device to the closed position. Another modification describes a clutch and slip ring assembly which is usable to lengthen the rotative stroke of the metering device to increase the volume of fluid dispensed.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing fluids as finely divided particles from pressurized containers. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus for dispensing finely divided fluid particles from pressurized containers in metered amounts. Pressurized containers provided with valves which permit the produce contained therein to be dispensed as a fine spray or foam are well known. In its most common form the pressurized container has a valve mechanism which has an external spray nozzle in communication with a bore in the valve mechanism which is in further communication with the pressurized interior of the container when the valve mechar nism is depressed or otherwise brought to an open position. Refinements of the basic pressurized spray device or aerosol dispenser include metering and timing mechanisms. One form of metering device provides a second small container of fixed volume within the outer container and designed so that the inner container may be filled by operation of the valve system. Another form of metering device is provided by the placement of a sphere within the dip tube of the valve mechanism in such a manner that when the valve mechanism is brought to an open position, the sphere rises within the dip tube until it seals against the external valve causing cessation of the flow through the valve mechanism.

Placing mete-ring or timing components inside the pressurized container can present a number of problems. First, additional components besides the valve mechanism are then subjected to the products in the pressurized container which may be either viscous or corrosive. Viscous materials may plug the metering device and prevent proper operation, and corrosion may destroy the operating components.

One object of this invention is to provide a means of 3,414,171 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 dispensing fluid products from a pressurized container in metered amounts.

I Another object of this invention is to provide a meterng dispenser for pressurized fluid products which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, reliable in operation, and durable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a metering dispenser for pressurized fluid products in which the metering components are external to the pressurized interior of the apparatus.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a metering device for a pressurized fluid product dispenser in which the metering components are adjustable. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a pressurized container showing a metering device according to this invention in position.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view in partial cross-section of the main components of the metering device of this invention.

FIGURE 2A is a cross-sectional view of a metering device according to this invention in position on a pressurized container.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a modified metering device according to this invention showing a return spring biasing the metering device to a closed position.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of another modification according to this invention of a metering device having a return spring and a dashpot for reducing the return time.

FIGURE 5A, 5B, and 5C are cross-sectional views of modified forms of dashpots adaptable for use in the modification of the modified metering device of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of another modification of a metering device according to this invention incorporating a clutch and slip ring assembly.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of a metering device according to this invention as described in FIGURE 1 showing cam and cam follower components positioning the metering device in an open position.

FIGURE 8 is a top view through the holding nut component of the metering device.

FIGURE 9 is a top view of the spray nozzle component of the metering device.

Referring now to the figures in detail, a conventional pressurized fluid container is of the type usually described as an aerosol container and includes a conventional valve mechanism 12 normally biased within the pressurized valve. The mechanism 12 is of the conventional type which provides communication between the interior of pressurized container 10 and an outlet of the valve mechanism when the valve mechanism is depressed. A spray nozzle component 14 is positioned in a non-rotatable manner in contact with the upper external portion of valve mechanism'12 so that depression of spray nozzle 14 will cause depression of the valve mechanism 12 to permit communication between the interior of the pressurized container 10 and bore 16 of spray nozzle 14. A holding nut 18 is positioned rotatably adjacent spray nozzle 14 and is held in position at the upper portion of the pressurized container by the positioning of recess 20 against lip 22 of the pressurized container. Holding nut 18 has a central opening 24 by means of which the holding nut can become positioned around spray nozzle 14 to hold the spray nozzle 14 in position against valve mechanism 12. The abutment of the interior portions of holding nut 18 against spray nozzle 14 comprises a significant part of this invention and is described in greater detail hereafter. Spray Wee nozzle 14 includes an outlet portion 26 into which is fitted a spray nozzle adaptor 28 which has a reduced bore portion 30 in communication with bore 16 of spray nozzle 14. For some purposes, particularly in the dispensing of foam products, a spray nozzle extension 32 can be fitted over adaptor portion 28.

As described briefly above the metering device is placed in operation by the cooperation of the rotatable holding nut against the non-rotatable spray nozzle in which a detent or cam follower on one of these components coacts against a cam on the other component so as to bring the spray nozzle to a depressed position against the valve mechanism. FIGURE 2 describes a cam component on spray nozzle 14 in which the cam comprises a lower shoulder portion 34, an upper shoulder portion 36 and inclined plane portions 38 and 40 connecting shoulders 34 and 36. A pair of detents or cam followers are more clearly shown in FIGURE 7. In FIGURE 7 a first cam follower 42 has an inclined plane portion 44 which abuts inclined plane 38 when the spray nozzle 14 is in its normally biased closed position. Then, when holding nut 18 is rotated counterclockwise cam follower 46 rides up inclined shoulder 40 and presses against upper shoulder 36 to depress spray nozzle 14 as shown in FIGURE 7. Thus, in the open position of spray nozzle 14, inclined plane 48 of follower 46 slides up inclined plane 40 so that the edge portion of cam follower 46 presses against upper shoulder 36. Then when holding nut 18 is rotated clockwise to permit spray nozzle 14 to assume its normally closed position, cam follower 46 slides down inclined plane 40 and inclined plane 44 of cam follower 42 presses against inclined plane 38 of spray nozzle 14. This movement permits the spray nozzle 14 to move upward to its normally biased closed position which in turn causes valve mechanism 12 to close. Rotation of holding nut 18 to a chosen position and the return rotation of holding nut 18 from that chosen position to its original closed position will permit a metered amount of fluid product to pass out of the pressurized container. This rotation in both directions may be done manually. In addition, FIGURE 1 describes a stop member 50 which, upon rotation of holding nut 18, will abut spray nozzle adaptor 28 and extension 32 to act as a limiting component to the rotation of holding nut 18. Of course, stop member 50 may be permanently set at a chosen position or may be arranged to be adjustable as by permitting it to be removably and insertable into openings in holding nut 18 or by being clampably positionable in a slot on holding nut 18. FIGURE 3 describes a metering device as set forth above which also includes a coil spring 52 surrounding spray nozzle 14 and having one end connecting to holding nut 18 at connection 54 and having the other end thereof connected to spray nozzle 14 to the undersurface of spray nozzle 14 at connection 56. In this modification of the invention, when holding nut 18 is rotated to a predetermined position, the increased tension on coil spring 54 will cause holding nut 18 to rotate in the reverse or return direction so that the cam followers 42 and 46 again become engaged with the respective inclined planes 38 and 40 thus permitting the spray nozzle 14 to rise to its normally closed position. When the cam followers again become engaged with the cam members of the spray nozzle, cam followers 42 and 46 act as stop members for the spray nozzle preventing further rotation of the spray nozzle. FIGURES 8 and 9 show the relative position of the cam followers 42 and 46 at the underneath surface of the holding nut as well as the relative positions of shoulders 34 and 36 in relationship to inclined planes 38 and 40.

FIGURE 4 describes another modification of this invention in which a dashpot member is in connective relationship between the spray nozzle and the holding nut. The dashpot comprises a cylinder portion 58 pivotally connected to the spray nozzle 14 by pivot member 60 and a piston member 62 on piston rod 64 with the end of piston rod 64 pivotally attached to the wall of holding nut 18.

Pivot member 60 may be opened to the atmosphere so that the delaying motion of the piston in the cylinder may be caused by friction of the piston along the walls of the cylinder, or the piston may be a sealed member where the piston operates in an atmosphere of either a chosen gas or a particular fluid. FIGURES 5A, 5B, and 50 describe modifications of the piston member. in FIGURE 5A an enclosed piston cylinder 66 includes a check valve 68 positioned in an interior wall 70 and an orifice 72 also positioned in the interior wall 70. A piston 74 on piston rod 76 moves within piston 66, preferably with a sealing member such as an O-ring 78 around piston 74 to bring the piston in sealing engagement with the interior walls to bring the piston rod in sealing engagement with the interior walls of piston 66. This type of piston is preferably filled with a fluid such as a silicone fluid. As the holding nut 18 is rotated to an open position piston 74 moves toward the end wall 80 causing check valve 68 to open and fluid to rush into the enlarged piston chamber since the check valve is of larger diameter than orifice 72. Then when the holding nut is being returned to its closed position, check valve 68 is forced closed and piston 74 moves toward orifice 72 forcing fluid through the small orifice thus slowing the return of the piston and consequently slowing the return of the holding nut 18 to its closed position. Preferably, piston 66 is provided with an adjustable orifice so that the return time may be adjusted. FIGURE 5B describes a sealed type of piston in which the piston moves in a sealed cylinder without an internal valve or orifice. The piston member of this type includes piston 82 having a flexible sealing ring 84 around the circumference thereof and a sealing component 86 positioned around the piston rod 88 and open end of the piston cylinder. FIGURE 50 describes a piston 90 which operates in a piston cylinder 92 and provides its damping action by the action of O-ring 94 in close engagement with the interior wall 96 of the cylinder, the damping action being only that of the friction of the O-ring against the cylinder wall.

FIGURE 6 describes another modification of the invention in which the clutch and slip ring assembly cooperates to give a greater effective length to the rotative stroke of the holding nut. In this modification of the invention the holding nut is modified to include a detent component and the spray nozzle is modified to include a clutch groove. Holding nut 98 has a detent portion on the upper interior surface thereof formed by a sloping plane 100 and an upright shoulder 102. The spray nozzle portion 104 of this modification is similar to the spray nozzle 14 except that nozzle 104 includes a recessed portion on the upper surface thereof formed on an inclined plane 106 and an upright shoulder 108. Positioned between holding nut 98 and spray nozzle 104 is a slip ring 110 which is designed to encircle spray nozzle 104 in a manner that in the closed position of the metering device inclined plane 112 abuts inclined plane 106 of the spray nozzle and shoulder 114 abuts shoulder 108 of the spray nozzle, and sloping plane 116 abuts sloping plane 100 and shoulder 118 abuts shoulder 102 of holding nut 98. Then, when holding nut 98 is rotated to open the valve mechanism of the pressurized container, plane 100 and shoulder 102 become disengaged from plane 116 and shoulder 118 of the clutch ring and ride on the upper surface of the slip ring 110 and plane 112 and shoulder 114 of slip ring 110 become disengaged from plane 106 and shoulder 108 of spray nozzle 104 and ride on upper surface 20 of spray nozzle 104. Then, if no stop member is included on holding nut 98 to prevent further rotation of holding nut 98, holding nut 98 may be effectively rotated more than one complete revolution thus increasing the effective stroke and consequently the effective volume of the metering device. This modification may contain a return spray and/ or dashpot component. If the return spring is included, the tension of the return spring will bring the assembly back to its original position.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described in detail herein are not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A metering device prising in combination:

an aerosol container having therein a valve mechanism biased to a normally closed position, said valve mechanism having a bore communicating with the interior of said container when said valve mechanism is in an open position,

a spray nozzle having an outlet adjacent in axial alignment with said valve mechanism, including an activation stern engaging said valve mechanism, said activation stern providing communication between said spray nozzle and the interior of said container for an aerosol container comwhen said spray nozzle and said activation stem are depressed thereby placing said valve mechanism in an open position,

a rotatable holding nut positionable atop said container in axial alignment with said valve mechanism and surrounding said spray nozzle to hold said spray nozzle in position with said activation stem in engagement with said valve mechanism,

cam means positioned axially with respect to said valve mechanism and between said spray nozzle and said holding nut, said cam means being disengaged by rotative movement in a first direction of said holding nut to depress said spray nozzle and being engaged by rotative movement in a second direction of said holding nut, said cam means including detent means effecting the engagement and disengagement of said cam means, said detent means acting as stop means when said cam means moves rotatively in a return direction.

2. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 1 in which said cam means comprises:

a cam surface extending radially from an intermediate area of said spray nozzle between said outlet and said activation stem and a detent member positioned on an underneath Surface of said holding nut in operative arrangement with said cam surface.

3. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 2 which includes:

a return spring comprising a coil tioned around said spray nozzle and having one end secured to said spray nozzle and a second end secured to said holding nut, said spring member biasing said spray nozzle toward said holding nut in said second direction.

spring member posi- 4. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 3 which includes:

a dashpot in operative engagement between said spray nozzle and said holding nut to damp the relative movement of said spray nozzle and said holding nut in said return direction.

5. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 4 in which said dashpot is adjustable to provide adjustable return time of said spray nozzle and said holding nut in said direction.

6. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 1 in which said cam means includes:

a cam surface extending radially on said spray nozzle between said outlet and said activation stem;

a slip ring positioned axially around said spray and in engageable position with said cam surface, said slip ring having a cam follower member on a first surface thereof engageable with said cam surface of said spray nozzle and said slip ring having a cam surface on a second surface thereof; and

a detent member on an underneath surface of said holding nut in an engageable position with said cam surface of said slip ring.

7. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 6 which includes:

a return spring compn'sing a coil spring member positioned around said spray nozzle and having one end secured to said spray nozzle and a second end secured to said holding nut, said spring member biasing said spray nozzle toward said holding nut in said second direction.

8. A metering device for an aerosol container as described in claim 7 which includes:

a dashpot in operative engagement between said spray nozzle and said holding nut to damp the relative movement of said spray nozzle and said holding nut in said return direction.

9. A metering device for an aerosol container as de scribed in claim 8 in which said dashpot is adjustable to provide adjustable return time of said spray nozzle and said holding nut in said return direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,757,964 8/1956 Both et a1. 222402.14 X 3,145,011 8/1964 Kappel 222402.14 X 3,314,577 4/ 1967 Doblin 222-402.14

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

